Last Christmas
by BestCrewInHollywood
Summary: Callen remembers oneself at a Christmas of his dark childhood.


**Last Christmas**

 **Characters and series credits to the writers and CBS, this is an old story from me, I translated it.**

 **Maybe there are a few spelling errors, because I am from Germany. Hope you like it.**

It was Callen's 7th day in the orphanage he sat sad-eyed on the windowsill from the bedraggled house and looked out of the window. It was snowing outside.

Today was Christmas, the morning where all children ran into the living room to see what Santa had brought. Callen looked over to the fireplace where he hung up a sock, disappointed he determined this morning that it was empty. Santa forgot him and the other children.

G felt chilly, it was inside just as cold as outside and inside of the windows were already ice crystals.

If the child care workers don't heat the orphanage, G and the other children would to die of exposure.

Callen hunched up, even if he died of exposure, who would miss him? He changed constantly his foster home or orphanage. Why should someone miss him?

G jumped down from the sill, the floorboards creaked as he touched the ground.

He ran down the dim floor and stopped ahead of the ramshackle wooden stair, the railing were broken in spots. Callen crawled downstairs backwards on all fours, the stairs creaked with every move and he was afraid to collapse with it. After a few minutes G stand in the foyer which was full with snow slush, an icy wind blew a lot of snowflakes through the broken window from the entry door.

Callen went carefully to the door, before he opened it he looked around to be sure that nobody followed him. G grabbed the clunky doorknob and opened the door, as the door was open a bit he slipped out of the house and struggled through the one meter high snow. As he reached the middle of the bleak yard he looked back to the orphanage. The windows were all dirty and a lot of them were broken, from the front the plaster crumbled away and the snow-covered roof had holes in spots.

This home doesn't looked very inviting and nobody would think that here was an orphanage.

Callen continued his walk through the snow and slipped through the big iron door, his stomach rumbles, the sumptuous meals blew off his feeling of hunger only for a short time, he would eat preferably a hamburger or something else. Callen went forward through the snow down the hill.

Callen respired relieved as he saw that the street was ploughed. Along the street were beautiful festive decorated houses and gardens, a few kids played on the little-used road ice hockey.

Callen knew the children by face, because it wasn't the first time that he escaped from the orphanage.

"Who are you?" A little girl in his age cat-called after him, Callen ignored the kids and ran further.

The children looked surprised after him, why he didn't answer and where lived he?

Callen ran down the street until he reached a street crossing. He stopped to take a breath, after a short while he turned left and ran further to reach his goal.

Finally he stopped by a big wooden house it was decorated with a chain of lights and in every window hangs a Christmas star. In the garden stands a life-size Santa.

On the bench sat a reindeer doll that was the sign that he was welcomed.

Callen knocked at the garage gate and after a few seconds someone opened it.

"Come in," a little boy with black hair in his age welcomed him.

G walked into the garage and looked to the well-laid table.

The little boy's who's called Rusty closed the gate and both boys sat down at table.

G looked with shining eyes over the table there were biscuits of all sorts and hot chocolate.

"Merry Christmas," Rusty said, "We have a bit time for us my parents are back in one hour."

"Merry Christmas," Callen retorted and put some biscuits on his plate and filled his cup with hot chocolate.

"Enjoy your meal," Rusty said with a smile.

"Thanks enjoy your meal too," Callen spoke.

Callen really enjoyed the meal, because he didn't know when he got such a great meal again.

"Does it taste good?" Rusty asked.

"Yeah, it's really tasty", Callen answered and ate is sixth biscuit, "Did you get something for Christmas?" G drank a slug from the hot chocolate.

"Yeah, I get a bike, a football, a few books and a photo calendar with my family," Rusty told proud.

"Nice," Callen said and tried to hide the sadness in his eyes that Santa forgot him, peculiar the photo calendar made him sad.

"Are you okay?" Rusty asked.

"Yeah, the biscuits and the chocolate are very tasty," Callen answered.

"My pleasure," Rusty said. "Did you get something for Christmas?"

G shook sadly his head, "No Santa forgot me and the other children," but in the next moment he smiled at Rusty, "Santa forgot me but you not, I am thankful for that."

Rusty knew that the children in the orphanage had a cruel life and he asked oneself why nobody fights this problem off.

"I have a gift for you when you want," Rusty said.

G looked surprised at Rusty, "A gift, for me?"

"Yes, I fetch it," Rusty said and left the garage through the door which was connected with the house.

G looked to the big rack in opposite from the garage gate, the rack was full with boxes, tools and other things. He got up and went to the rack, because a photo caught his eyes.

He took he photo which had a golden frame, it was a family picture.

On the left side of the picture were Rusty's mum, she had black long hair and wore a red summer dress. On the right side of the picture were Rusty's dad, he had a black marine haircut and wore a uniform.

In the middle of the picture were Rusty who hugged his parents, all three looked very happy.

G imagined often how it would be to life in a family such a life must be beautiful.

His mother would wake him in the morning, he would dressed himself and have breakfast with his family.

Then his mother would put his sack lunch into his school bag. His dad would walk with him to the school bus and he would wave him when he drove to school to study.

But his hope to settle down one day faded with every day. G looked a while at the picture until he put it back on the rack.

As he turned around he scared, because he didn't noticed that Rusty stand behind him.

"Have I scared you?" Rusty asked.

"How is it to life in a family?" G answered with a question.

"It is beautiful," Rusty answered with shining eyes.

Callen smiled at Rusty.

Rusty looked into Callen eyes, he saw the sadness in it.

"But sometimes parents could bug you. Make your homework, don't come home too late, eat your vegetables and don't watch too long TV", Rusty told laughing.

G looked again to the family picture and then to the ground.

"Are you good?" Rusty asked worried.

"I am fine," Callen answered and went back to the table and took a seat on his chair. He ate the last biscuits, that he mustn't say anything about his feelings.

"When you want to talk I am here?" Rusty said.

"Thanks," G mumbled it was unusual for him that someone cares about him and he doesn't know how to deal with it.

"I have to go back to the orphanage," G said and wants to leave the garage.

"Wait your gift!" Rusty called.

Rusty gave Callen the gift, G took it and looked at it with shining eyes. It was cozy, decoratively wrapped up in a red gift wrap with many Santa's.

"Unwrap it", Rusty urged him.

Callen unpacked it and a he hold a cozy teddy bear in his hands.

"Sweet", he thought.

"Do you like it?" Rusty wants to know.

"Thanks", Callen answered drily, "I have to go now."

The boys said good bye with a handshake.

Rusty opened the garage door and G went out.

"Can we meet us tomorrow again?" Rusty asked.

G turned around and shrugged his shoulders, because he wasn't able to give Rusty an honest answer.

As Callen reached the orphanage two muscular and bald-headed men approached to him, both wore black suits and sunglasses.

"There are you at last," one of them snubbed at him, he seized him by the arm, so that Callen lost his teddy.

"My teddy," Callen shouted.

The men hauled him to a black car which stands beside the gate and put him rudely on the back seat.

A few seconds later the men went into the car and drove away, regardless they run over the teddy.

One day later Rusty went to the orphanage, to visit his friend.

"Oh no", Rusty said as he saw the teddy, which lay tattered in the snow.

He bent down and looked at his destroyed gift, the head was wrenched off all over welled the foam out.

"No", Rusty was closed to tears. He looked to the spooky orphanage, he would never forget as he met Callen here seven days ago.

Rusty liked G and the boys made friends.

They met each other at the second, fourth, fifth and seventh days, as Rusty's parents weren't at home.

Sadly Rusty picked up the body from teddy, the right arm and the left leg dropped to the ground.

"Where are you?" Rusty asked himself and looked at the footprints.

Rusty was sure that one of the footprints were from Callen and the others were from two adults, it hasn't snowed since yesterday in the afternoon and so he was able to follow the track.

All footprints ended a few steps ahead of the gate.

Gazed in abstraction Rusty followed the car tracks down the hill, "I hope you're fine G."

Rusty resigned oneself that he wouldn't saw him again.

G opened his eyes he laid in a warm and cozy bed. he slept well since a long time he loved and hated this feeling to the same time. When he slept well, he knew that he was in a good foster family, but he knew to that he had to say good bye sooner or later.

Preferably he would cuddle with his teddy now, but he lost always the people and thing who he loved.

"G?" Sam asked his best friend who starred absently on a blank word document.

"Every year at Christmas Eve I mull over that I lost all people and things who I loved."

"That isn't true", Sam said, "You have me and don't think that you get rid of me so fast."

Callen rose and gave his best friend a hug, "Thank you."

"Michelle and I invited you to our Christmas dinner, I hope you join us."

Actual Callen prefer at to be alone at Christmas, but in the End he can't reject the offer.

"Thanks partner that you admit me to celebrate Christmas with your family."

"My pleasure", Sam spoke.

Someone coughed slightly behind them and Sam and Callen turned around.

"I want to wish you a wonderful and peaceful Christmas time, when we get no important case you're off for Christmas until New Year day." Hetty shook smiling first Callen's and then Sam's hand.

"Merry Christmas," Callen and Sam retorted.

"And now I didn't want to see you here anymore," Hetty asked her agent to left the office.

"Come on G, Michelle kills me if I came too late for Christmas Eve."

"To be married is more dangerous as to catch terrorists," Callen joked, as he left with Sam the office.

"You get to know about this too, if you have one day a girlfriend," Sam remarked.

"You convinced me to stay single," Callen retorted.

Hetty looked happily as Callen and Sam went through the entrance, she was glad that Callen found a best friend like Sam.

-The End-


End file.
